Family Routines and Parenting Stress in Families of Children With and Without Intellectual Disability: A Cross-Sectional Study in Early Childhood

Abstract Background: Parenting stress is typically elevated in families of children with intellectual disability, yet less is known about how everyday family routines may buffer this stress in early childhood across different developmental groups. This study examined parenting stress and family routines in families of children with and without intellectual disability. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 125 parents of children aged 0–9 years (n = 75 typi-cally developing; n = 50 with intellectual disability) completed the Family Time and Rou-tines Index and the Parental Stress Scale, along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. Group differences in parenting stress and routine-related indices were examined using in-dependent samples t-tests, and associations between parenting stress and the perceived importance of weekday/leisure and disciplinary routines were analyzed with Pearson cor-relation coefficients. Results: Parents of children with intellectual disability reported significantly higher par-enting stress than parents of typically developing children and less prevalent family disci-plinary routines. Across the total sample, lower levels of parenting stress were moderately associated with greater perceived importance of weekday and leisure routines and paren-tal disciplinary routines. Conclusions: Family routines, particularly weekday, leisure, and disciplinary routines, represent a promising target for personalized, family-centered support in early childhood. Tailoring interventions to families’ routine profiles and stress levels may help strengthen family resilience and everyday functioning in families raising children with and without intellectual disability. Keywords: parenting stress; family routines; intellectual disability; early childhood; fami-ly-centered interventions; parental self-efficacy